Where to Find Construction Bids and Upcoming Projects in Chicago (2026)
Construction work in Chicago is posted in three places. Public owners advertise on the City of Chicago Department of Procurement Services, on BidBuy, the State of Illinois procurement system, and federally on SAM.gov. General contractors invite subcontractors through BuildingConnected and PlanHub, and ConstructConnect and Dodge sell data on published commercial bids. Private work that is never publicly bid appears first as a building permit, which is where Builtie finds it and attaches the decision maker.
The same four steps, whether the buyer is a builder, a designer, an owner or a company you want to acquire.
Where Chicago construction work is posted
| Source | Where to look |
|---|---|
| City | The City of Chicago Department of Procurement Services |
| State | BidBuy, the State of Illinois procurement system |
| Federal | SAM.gov |
| Private, invited | BuildingConnected and PlanHub invitations from general contractors |
| Private, published | ConstructConnect and Dodge project data |
| Private, never bid | Building permits and planning filings, which Builtie turns into projects with the decision maker attached |
The private work that never reaches a bid board
Most private work in Chicago, including renovations, custom homes, small commercial fit-outs and the trade packages under a general contractor, is awarded by invitation. The first public sign of it is a building permit. 1,439 new-build permits were issued in Chicago in the last 12 months. On September 23, 2026, 1,180 projects in the City of Chicago were still inside the electrical award window and 1,133 inside the drywall window.
Chicago issues one combined permit per project, so the name on it is usually the general contractor or developer, which is the company a trade wants to reach.
Which source to check first
| If you are | Check first |
|---|---|
| A trade subcontractor bidding commercial work | BuildingConnected and PlanHub invitations, then Builtie to reach GCs before they invite |
| A general contractor bidding public work | The City of Chicago Department of Procurement Services and the state portals |
| A trade selling private residential or small commercial work | Permits via Builtie |
| Looking for construction jobs, not contracts | Job boards such as Indeed and LinkedIn Jobs; this page is about contracts |
Plans
Builtie's Starter plan is $79 per seat per month (CAD) for 20 projects; Growth is $99 for 50 projects and adds the LinkedIn and email outreach you run yourself. Opening a project spends one credit, and the decision makers, emails, phones and AI call script inside it are included. Your monthly credits reset at each renewal, and extra credit packs are valid for 30 days. The free trial runs 7 days with 10 projects. Custom, where Builtie's team runs the outreach for you, starts from CAD $1,500 a month on top of a Growth seat.
Builtie's deepest coverage is in the Greater Toronto Area, where it started; depth in any city depends on what that municipality publishes. Ask for live sample projects in your own service area before you buy.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find construction bids in Chicago?
Public work: the City of Chicago Department of Procurement Services; BidBuy, the State of Illinois procurement system; federal work on SAM.gov. Private commercial bids: BuildingConnected and PlanHub invitations and ConstructConnect or Dodge data. Private work that is never bid shows up first as a building permit, which Builtie tracks.
Are there free construction bid sites for Chicago?
Yes. The public portals are free or cheap to search, and BuildingConnected is free for subcontractors receiving invitations.
Why don't private Chicago projects appear on bid sites?
Most private work is awarded by invitation: a developer picks a general contractor, and the GC invites trades it already knows. The project appears as a permit long before any invitation.
Does Builtie list public tenders in Chicago?
No. Builtie starts from permits and planning records and focuses on private projects and the people who award them. Plans start at $79 per seat per month with a 7-day free trial.